


After The Blight

by FulgrimOfTheThird



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FulgrimOfTheThird/pseuds/FulgrimOfTheThird
Summary: When the Blight is done and new beginnings start, old memories rear their heads.
Relationships: Zevran Arainai/Female Warden
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	After The Blight

It had been a long year. A long and taxing year that had thrown Vara Tabris from one situation to another, all of which she was unprepared to handle but had somehow come out on top of anyway. Ever since her wedding had been crashed there had barely been a day she hadn’t shed blood. From human nobles to werewolves to bandits and of course a seeming endless stream of Darkspawn. She’d even slain three dragons by this point. But now the Blight was over, the Archdemon was slain and her new found companions had split off to their own lives again. Sten had returned to the Qun, Leliana had joined Divine Justinia as her left hand, Oghren was back in Orzamar trying to fix his family life. Morrigan had fled with her unborn child to somewhere unknown, Wynne was back with the Circle and Shale was off looking into the creation and state of golems. Even Alistair was away, trying to coordinate aid from the Orlesian Wardens. The only ones still with her with her adopted mabari, Hund, and her lover Zevran. But that was all she needed as they settled into their new home at the keep in Amaranthine where the Ferelden Wardens were rebuilding. 

Their room was high in one of the towers with views for miles in all directions and a cooling breeze stirring the curtains. Varel had shown them up here upon their arrival and Vara was glad to finally stop travelling and have a proper bed to sleep on. 

She flopped face first onto the soft mattress and sighed with relief. Zevran sat down next to and began to unbuckle the greatsword from her back. 

“Has the road really been so trying, mi armor?” He asked, his voice holding the smirk that lingered on his lips too. Vara’s only reply was a non committal mumble into the pillow and a weak flap of her hand. Zevran finished removing the heavy sword and carefully set it aside before his deft fingers began working on the leather armour his lover wore. She lay and let him get on with it, allowing him to move her if need be until she was just wearing the simple trews and shirt she always wore under her armour. 

“Hey, you know those whorehouse skills you’ve mentioned before?” Vara mumbled softly, turning her face out of the pillow, “Now would be a good time for a demonstration.” She looked up into Zevran’s eyes and smiled softly.   
“Ah you do so work me hard.” Zevran chuckled, his eyes contradicting his words as he swiftly removed his own armour and slid onto the bed too. Vara removed the rest of her clothes and then lay there as her assassin lover’s fingers seemed to draw the ache from her limbs and cast it away more effectively than any healing spell. 

Eventually the Warden-Commander rolled onto her back, a look in her eyes that Zevran knew meant they would be sleeping in late. Her hand snaled out and gripped his shirt, pulling him close. “Now it’s time for those other whorehouse skills,” was the last coherent sentence spoken that night as their lips met and the world melted away until only they remained, a single entity of bliss. 

The morning had almost passed by the time they awoke, limbs still tangled and the sheets crumpled and scattered. 

“If you leave this bed I’ll disown you.” Vara mumbled into Zevran’s chest, without opening her eyes.

“What if I promise to return with tea and food?” The assassin replied, placing a kiss on his lover’s forehead. There was a long moment of Vara pondering with a low hum. 

“Alright then. But it had better be super sweet tea.” A smile bloomed across her face though her eyes remained closed. 

“The sweetest, mi amor,” Zevran replied before slipping from under her and out the bed. He left the room without a further sound, leaving Vara to bask a little longer.

By the time he had returned carrying a tray bearing a teapot with cups and food, the Warden-Commander was sat up in the bed with sheets crumpled about her legs to leave her upper half bared to his eyes. 

“A much finer view then the one out the windows,” Zevran remarked with a wry smile that was answered by a cocked eyebrow and a poorly thrown pillow that he didn’t bother to attempt to dodge. “Careful or I will have to leave you again for more,” he teased as he set the tray on the bedside table and poured tea into the two cups before sitting on the edge of the bed by his lover. They drank and ate in silence for a while until the tea was drunk and the food eaten.

“It’s nice to be able to sleep in for once,” Vara commented idly, “No having to get up at dawn to press on to the next blood spilling and the next problem I have to sort out.” She sighed happily at the thought that the most pressing battles now would be mostly paperwork and meetings. Speaking of, she should probably make a start on those. She untangled her legs from the rumpled sheets and rose, fully aware that Zevran was admiring her muscular and naked form. She stretched her arms above her head just for the chance to let his eyes linger a little longer before she disappeared into the wash room to clean herself up. 

She emerged some time later wearing a baggy shirt of red silk with puffed cuffs and tight trews of black leather tucked into her favourite boots. Zevran had thrown on some clothes too and was clearing away their breakfast. His was back to Vara as she emerged from the washroom and he didn’t turn as she walked over to him. It was her favourite sign of trust that he showed. She knew that he was fully aware of her but he still trusted her enough to present his bared back. She slipped strong arms about his waist and kissed his neck. 

“I’m going to meet with Varel. Try to keep out of trouble, please,.” Her words were accompanied by another kiss and a smile he felt against his skin. 

“Ah you task me so,” he teased in reply, “But for you I shall do so.” He turned his head to her and they kissed once more before Vara let go and headed down the winding stairs to find Varel. 

Varel was waiting for Vara in the main hall with a stack of parchments under an arm.and was joined by two other people. Captain Garevel and Mistress Woolsey if she remembered correctly. She sighed and ran a hand over her short cropped hair. 

“Right. Let’s not waste anymore of the day.” She smirked and led them into her new office. The door closed and remained closed for many hours, except for when a servant brought a meal for the four people. Night had fallen by the time they had bashed out the details of getting the place up and running, with plans to turn the castle into not only the Grey Warden’s new Ferelden fastness, but also into a thriving economic hub for the local area. 

Vara trudged up the stairs and threw open the door with a bang. 

“I swear that was more taxing than solving the Blight.” She sighed and wiped her hands down her face. She took in the sight before her and smiled, Zevran was still unpacking. “This how you’ve been keeping out of trouble?” She asked with a smile, walking over to where he knelt in front of one of her packs. Zevran looked up and gave a small smile, not seeming able to muster a verbal reply. That was when Vara saw what was in his hands. It was a dress, clearly not worn much but still with a tear or two in the fabric. Dark stains covered much of it in spray and splash patterns. Vara went quiet and still, her hand on Zevran’s shoulder. 

“I did not realise you still kept it.” Zevran said softly as he laid down Vara’s wedding dress. A blood soaked ring of plain gold fell out of one of the pockets to land on the floor next to them. He looked up into Vara’s face and placed a hand over hers. “Memories cling to us so.” 

Vara didn’t reply, her mind was thrown back into the past by the sight of her blood stained wedding dress. Back to when that bastard Vaughan had kidnapped her, her cousin Shianni, her other cousin’s fiance and a few other women. They had been carted off to be used like toys but Soris had managed to get inside and give her a blade. And once she had a blade in her hand she had carved a bloody path through the estate that had terminated in her slaying Vaughan and his cronies, and then a conscription into the Grey Wardens. She had killed and killed that day, the blood soaking her dress proof of that, she had probably killed more than was necessary but her rage had been too great to contain. She hadn’t managed to save them all or to prevent them from abusing Shianni but she had avenged them and a noble’s blood still splattered her wedding dress and ring. 

Her mind came slowly back to the present and she became aware that Zevran was holding her close, one hand stroking her hair softly. 

“It is ok, mi amor” he whispered, “Our pasts shape us so but we have left those behind us now and forged something better for ourselves.” He wiped away a tear that Vara hadn’t even realised had escaped her eye. She looked into her lover’s eyes and smiled. 

“Thank you. I have held onto that for so long, as though keeping it around kept Nelaros alive.” She let out a sigh and extracted herself from Zevran’s arms. She bent down and picked up the dress and ring. She walked over to one of the open windows, still staring at the bloodstained objects in her hands. “But you’re right. The past is gone and while it shapes who we are, we cannot cling to it and let it hold us back.” With a sudden movement she threw the dress and ring from the window, watching the wind take the fabric away into the distance. She turned back to Zevran who had stood still and watched her. “And walking into the future I can face anything with you by my side.” 

Before either of them knew it Vara was gripping his face in her strong hands and kissing him hard. Zevran was quick to respond and soon they were telling each other everything they had ever felt without speaking a word. 

After an eternity that lasted only a few minutes Zevran pulled back from Vara, somehow extracting himself from her muscular arms. “If that is the case then I feel I should ask you something first.” He turned back to one of his packs and pulled something from it. He dropped to a knee and held up a golden ring with a small emerald set in it. 

“Will you walk into the future with me as my wife?” He asked, looking up at his lover, saviour and friend. 

Vara was silent for a long minute before pulling Zevran easily to his feet and kissing him even harder than before. 

“Of course I will” she breathed against his lips as passions flooded them and spilled out everywhere. Clothes went flying and a warriors mighty lungs loudly proclaimed ecstasy and release of more than one kind. 

The morning came with a brilliance that fully complemented Vara’s mood as she looked over at her still sleeping lover. No. Not lover. Fiance. She smiled and stroked his face. 

“Ah good morning, mi amor” Zevran groaned as he woke up to her touch. At least this one didn’t leave bright red marks in his skin, not that he really minded that. 

“It is good indeed” Vara told him and kissed him to silence before he could reply. The Blight was over, the country was rebuilding, she had a home and she was going to marry the love of her life. That was of course when the alarm bells in the keep began to ring.


End file.
